I thought I knew what to expect from Aftermath, as there have been countless
dramas about the process of grief. Cinematically speaking, these narratives
tend to focus on the process of healing, and although there are certain character
arcs in this regard, this is far from the focus of Aftermath. In fact, the moments when the characters truly are
recovering remain off-screen, allowing the audience to view nothing more than
the devastation and the destruction. The result is a film that feels like a
news story, tragic and pointless, recreated in a fashion fitting a Lifetime
movie.

This is not to
say that the acting is not better than a TV movie, but the cast often deserves
better than the material. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been working especially
hard recently to show that he is capable of more than just the action genre
thrills that he became famous for. In a vanity-free performance (even giving us
a nude shower scene to show the way his body has aged), Schwarzenegger plays a
contractor named Roman who is awaiting the arrival of his wife and pregnant
daughter one fateful Christmas, only to discover that their plane has suffered
a tragic accident.

Aftermath may have been a different film
had the entire run-time been devoted to Roman’s story, but we never truly
penetrate his grief beyond the surface. And the only reason that the narrative
is able to keep his thought process somewhat mysterious, making his final
actions so much more shocking, is the parallel examination of guilt from the
air traffic controller responsible for the accident. We aren’t even given all
of the information about the mistake, never really knowing how much was
preventable, but that does not stop the shame of the events from completely
devastating the life of Jake (Scott McNairy).

There is an
obvious tendency to focus on Schwarzenegger’s performance, if only because it
is unexpected to see him in a heavy drama, but McNairy often steals the show as
a man completely unhinged by the devastation he has caused. I felt for Roman,
but the screenplay allows us into the life and grief of Jake on a much deeper
level. Part of this is merely because Jake is given other actors to interact
with, including his wife (Maggie Grace) and son (Judah Nelson), while Roman is
allowed to suffer alone. In the end, I had to wonder what statement the
filmmaker intended to make, beyond spreading the grief of the characters onto
the viewers in an uncharitable manner.

The Blu-ray
release for a film like Aftermath is
entirely unnecessary. Though it is competently shot, this is a very low key
drama without the type of visual excitement that high definition might enhance.
The special features on the disc include an audio commentary with director
Elliott Lester and producer Eric Watson, as well as interviews with Lester and
cinematographer Peter Vermeer. A trailer gallery for additional Lionsgate films
is also included, and the Blu-ray comes with a Digital HD copy of Aftermath.